There is a group of products known as “process instrumentation and control systems” on the market. They are often used to control and operate large industrial installations. Such systems work on two tracks. For control tasks they use automation software known as PLC (programmable logic controller) software and PLC programming system. Visualization software independent of the control software is used for operator guidance. Control software and visualization software run in distinct devices: the control software in PLCs or process control devices in a process plane, and the visualization software in the instrumentation and control plane. Therefore, the automation as a whole is not a self-contained unit. It is not possible to set up such automation without the aid of specialists. The expense is considerable.
At the end of the 1980s, when personal computers (PCs) with a degree of power and graphical capabilities had been developed, virtual measuring instruments appeared. Measuring instruments with knobs, buttons, switches and display instruments were known up to then. Measuring circuits were physically built up from wire and filters and the like.
The early measuring instruments were replaced by virtual measuring instruments and measuring circuits. Now one had illustrations of such devices on the screen. Turning knobs and actuating buttons and switches were replaced by mouse clicks. Automation was not yet associated therewith. A programming language was overlaid thereon to remedy this defect. In the view of many users, the setup of automation on the basis of such software solutions is very complicated and demands a long familiarization time. A user needs special knowledge that he must acquire. The expense is considerable. These solutions did not succeed in bringing about consistency between operating and observing and automation. In laboratory automation in particular, it would be very advantageous to have simple solutions making it possible to develop automation tasks quickly, without large expense and without the necessity of possessing special knowledge or employing specialists.